Search

Background and objectives Transfusion-transmitted bacterial infections ( TTBI) remain a threat to safe blood transfusion. Currently, there is no consensus on the definition, presentation, management and prevention of TTBI. A common set of criteria would facilitate haemovigilance and benchmarking. An international survey to assess current practices in TTBI was performed as part of efforts in developing an accepted TTBI definition. Material and Methods After a pilot study, the questionnaire was sent via a web-based survey () to members of the International Society of Blood Transfusion ( ISBT) Working Parties on Transfusion-Transmitted Infectious Diseases (bacterial subgroup) and Haemovigilance as well as members of the transfusion community with an interest in transfusion safety. Results Results from 58 respondents in 39 countries were available. Twenty-seven countries had a haemovigilance programme. A TTBI definition was available from 27 respondents (17 countries). The reported clinical presentation and management of TTBI, and procedures to prevent bacterial contamination and screening of blood products varied amongst the respondents. The most frequently cited signs of a TTBI were fever, tachycardia, rigours and hypotension. Common methods to prevent bacterial contamination of blood products included donor health questionnaire, skin disinfection prior to blood collection and use of a diversion pouch. Routine bacterial screening of blood products was performed in 19 countries. Conclusion This survey highlighted the different practices in TTBI globally and provides a baseline for ongoing endeavours to harmonize TTBI definitions and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental involvement (PI) and child-rearing beliefs were examined amongst parents whose children attended state-run kindergartens across Singapore. A total of 244 parents completed an online survey consisting of a Child-Rearing Beliefs Scale, a PI Scale, and demographic details. Results indicated respondents were generally low-income earners with high rates of bilingualism. Two-thirds of parents had enrolled their kindergarten children in extra classes, with half of parents indicating that academic achievement was their highest priority. Ethnic differences were noted, with Chinese parents showing less involvement at home and school and less emphasis on the development of creative and practical skills and conforming behaviors than parents from other Asian backgrounds. This effect was independent from the effects of gender, parental education, and income. These results confirm the importance parents place on academic achievement in Singapore, but also, along with, extend prior research to suggest that inter Asian differences exist. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Age-related macular degeneration ( AMD) is the leading cause of central vision impairment in persons over the age of 50 years in developed countries. Both genetic and non-genetic (environmental) factors play major roles in AMD etiology, and multiple gene variants and lifestyle factors such as smoking have been associated with the disease. While dissecting the basic etiology of the disease remains a major challenge, current genetic knowledge has provided opportunities for improved risk assessment, molecular diagnosis and clinical testing of genetic variants in AMD treatment and management. This review addresses the potential of translating the wealth of genetic findings for improved risk prediction and therapeutic intervention in AMD patients. Finally, we discuss the recent advancement in genetics and genomics and the future prospective of personalized medicine in AMD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical defects distal to the proximal interphalangeal joint are usually treated by heterodigital or reverse-flow homodigital flaps. Drawbacks of the former are potential donor digit stiffness and scarring, while the latter might be complicated by flap congestion. A bipedicled neurovascular island transposition flap design that preserves both proximal and distal extent of digital nerve and artery was employed to treat critical dorsal skin defect in two patients with encouraging results. Technical details and cadaveric study concepts are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasmosis is increasingly diagnosed after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation ( HSCT) and is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. In the majority of cases, reactivation of latent disease secondary to impaired cellular and humoral immunity after HSCT is believed to be the main pathogenetic mechanism. Hence, primary toxoplasmosis is rarely considered in the differential diagnosis of infections after HSCT in a recipient who is seronegative for Toxoplasma gondii pre-transplant. We herein report a seronegative patient with acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia, who developed primary disseminated toxoplasmosis 5 months after HSCT from a seronegative unrelated donor. A review of all reported cases of primary toxoplasmosis after HSCT revealed significantly increased morbidity and mortality. Patients with negative pre-transplant Toxoplasma serology should therefore be considered at risk for toxoplasmosis after allogeneic HSCT. Possible prevention and monitoring strategies for seronegative recipients are reviewed and discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study that compared the performance of the LMA Supreme (SLMA) with the I-Gel, the two newly developed disposable supraglottic airway devices, during anaesthesia in spontaneously breathing adult patients. The authors tested the two devices due to the rise in the routine use of disposable supraglottic airway adjuncts for maintenance of anaesthesia. Secondary outcomes of the research included ease of insertion and ventilation quality.

This paper considers a two-echelon assembled-to-stock system, consisting of several components and products, where a periodic review policy is used. Some components are common to several products. We propose a component allocation policy that attempts to minimize the total cost which consists of the holding cost and the shortage cost. This policy takes advantage of the sharing of common components. We use simulation, infinitesimal perturbation analysis and steepest descent algorithm to find the components’ order-up-to levels for the proposed policy and then compare its effectiveness with two policies that do not allow the sharing of common components. For the scenarios that we have run, the numerical results show that the proposed policy gives the lowest total cost. In addition, we have show the benefits of risk pooling from common component sharing and the echelon effect under different range of parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe combining a reflective thinking technique (reflection-on-action/reflectionin-action) and the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator to prepare students for meaningful and successful participation in the global environment of marketing. We discuss the practical considerations of using this pedagogy. Results from a pre- and posttest are provided, as well as a discussion of its adaptability to other settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we will introduce a heuristic to solve a single leg revenue management problem with postponement, arising from the sea cargo industry. Based on previous work, it was shown that the optimal policy to allocate the capacity of the ship is a threshold policy. Based on the sample average approximation method, we formulate a mixed integer linear programming problem to determine the stationary threshold policy. A heuristic (known as the perturbation approach) is proposed to solve the problem. From the numerical result, it is shown that our approach performs better than some of the methods used to solve the mixed-integer programming problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented which discusses the case of a 40-year-old man who was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis associated with acute intravascular haemolysis in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

The article discusses research on the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that develops after surgery of cataract. It references a study by E. Y. Chew and colleagues, published in the 2009 issue of the journal "Ophthalmology." The researchers evaluated 4577 patients for the development of advanced AMD, either geographic atrophy (GA) or neovascular AMD. The findings of the study revealed no clear effect of cataract surgery on the risk for advanced AMD progression.

One of the challenges that liner operators face today is to effectively operate empty containers to meet demands and to reduce inefficiency. In this study, we develop a decision support tool to help the liner operator in managing the maritime empty container repositioning efficiently. This tool considers the actual operations and constraints of the problems faced by the liner operator and uses mathematical programming approaches to solve it. We present a case study, which considers 49 ports and 44services. We also compare our proposed model with a simple rule, which attempts to mimic the actual operation of a shipping liner. The numerical results show that the proposed model is promising. Moreover, our model is able to identify potential transshipment hubs for intra-Asia empty container transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of 89 patients receiving nightly subcutaneous deferoxamine for transfusion-dependent thalassemia major or Diamond-Blackfan anemia, 13 presented with visual loss or deafness of acute onset or both. Detailed ophthalmologic, audiologic, and evoked-potential studies uncovered abnormalities caused by neurotoxicity in 27 more. Four patients with visual loss had optic neuropathy, with a marked decrease in acuity, loss of color vision, and delayed visual evoked potentials. Five asymptomatic patients had changes in the pigment of the retinal epithelium. The hearing loss was characterized by a high-frequency sensorineural deficit, which necessitated hearing aids in six patients. When deferoxamine was stopped, recovery of vision was complete in 2 patients and partial in 2, and in 22 patients with abnormal audiograms, reversal of the hearing deficit was complete in 4 and partial in 1. An analysis of the clinical data showed that members of the affected group were younger, had lower serum ferritin values, and were self-administering higher doses of deferoxamine per kilogram of body weight. Significantly lower doses of deferoxamine were being taken by patients without abnormalities than by those with visual symptoms, abnormal audiograms, or prolonged evoked potentials (P less than 0.001, less than 0.006, and less than 0.04, respectively). The data implicate high-dose deferoxamine as a central factor in the pathogenesis of the neurotoxicity. We strongly recommend careful regulation of the deferoxamine dosage and serial audiovisual monitoring in all patients receiving the drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The involvement of the human cerebellum in working memory has been well established in the last decade. However, the cerebro-cerebellar network for visual working memory is not as well defined. Our previous fMRI study showed superior and inferior cerebellar activations during a block design visual working memory task, but specific cerebellar contributions to cognitive processes in encoding, maintenance and retrieval have not yet been established. The current study examined cerebellar contributions to each of the components of visual working memory and presence of cerebellar hemispheric laterality was investigated. 40 young adults performed a Sternberg visual working memory task during fMRI scanning using a parametric paradigm. The contrast between high and low memory load during each phase was examined. We found that the most prominent activation was observed in vermal lobule VIIIb and bilateral lobule VI during encoding. Using a quantitative laterality index, we found that left-lateralized activation of lobule VIIIa was present in the encoding phase. In the maintenance phase, there was bilateral lobule VI and right-lateralized lobule VIIb activity. Changes in activation in right lobule VIIIa were present during the retrieval phase. The current results provide evidence that superior and inferior cerebellum contributes to visual working memory, with a tendency for left-lateralized activations in the inferior cerebellum during encoding and right-lateralized lobule VIIb activations during maintenance. The results of the study are in agreement with Baddeley's multi-component working memory model, but also suggest that stored visual representations are additionally supported by maintenance mechanisms that may employ verbal coding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the needs of heart failure patients who have exhausted therapeutic options and require palliative care, from the perspective of patients, their main care, and the clinical team.

Background and Purpose: Shogaols are reported to possess anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. However, the antimetastatic potential of shogaols remains unexplored. This study was performed to assess the effects of shogaols against breast cancer cell invasion and to investigate the underlying mechanisms.Experimental Approach: The anti-invasive effect of a series of shogaols was initially evaluated on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells using the matrigel invasion assay. The suppressive effects of 6-shogaol on phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) gelatinolytic activity and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation were further determined.Key Results: Shogaols (6-, 8- and 10-shogaol) inhibited PMA-stimulated MDA-MB-231 cell invasion with an accompanying decrease in MMP-9 secretion. 6-Shogaol was identified to display the greatest anti-invasive effect in association with a dose-dependent reduction in MMP-9 gene activation, protein expression and secretion. The NF-κB transcriptional activity was decreased by 6-shogaol; an effect mediated by inhibition of IκB phosphorylation and degradation that subsequently led to suppression of NF-κB p65 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. In addition, 6-shogaol was found to inhibit JNK activation with no resulting reduction in activator protein-1 transcriptional activity. By using specific inhibitors, it was demonstrated that ERK and NF-κB signalling, but not JNK and p38 signalling, were involved in PMA-stimulated MMP-9 activation.Conclusions and Implications: 6-Shogaol is a potent inhibitor of MDA-MB-231 cell invasion, and the molecular mechanism involves at least in part the down-regulation of MMP-9 transcription by targeting the NF-κB activation cascade. This class of naturally occurring small molecules thus have potential for clinical use as antimetastatic treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly in the developed world. We conducted a genome-wide association study in a series of families enriched for AMD and completed a meta-analysis of this new data with results from reanalysis of an existing study of a late-stage case-control cohort. We tested the top findings for replication in 1896 cases and 1866 controls and identified two novel genetic protective factors for AMD. In addition to the complement factor H (CFH) (P=2.3 × 10−64) and age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) (P=1.2 × 10−60) loci, we observed a protective effect at rs429608, an intronic SNP in SKIV2L (P=5.3 × 10−15), a gene near the complement component 2 (C2)/complement factor B (BF) locus, that indicates the protective effect may be mediated by variants other than the C2/BF variants previously studied. Haplotype analysis at this locus identified three protective haplotypes defined by the rs429608 protective allele. We also identified a new potentially protective effect at rs2679798 in MYRIP (P=2.9 × 10−4), a gene involved in retinal pigment epithelium melanosome trafficking. Interestingly, MYRIP was initially identified in the family-based scan and was confirmed in the case-control set. From these efforts, we report the identification of two novel protective factors for AMD and confirm the previously known associations at CFH, ARMS2 and C3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compared the performance of the LMA Supreme (SLMA) with the I-Gel during anaesthesia in spontaneously breathing adult patients. Ninety patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I or II were studied in a prospective randomised controlled study. Our primary outcome measure was oropharyngeal leak pressure. We also compared the overall insertion success rate, ease of insertion, adequacy of ventilation and incidence of complications. The mean (SD), oropharyngeal leak pressure for the SLMA was 25.6 (5.1) cmH2O, which was greater than for the I-Gel 20.7 (5.9) cmH2O (P = 0.0001). The first attempt and overall insertion success rates were similar between the two groups (SLMA 97.8 and 97.8%; I-Gel 93.3 and 100%, P = 0.132). The SLMA was rated easier to insert than the I-Gel (P = 0.011), but the time taken for insertion (P = 0.433) was similar. The incidence of complications was low in both groups. The grade of fibreoptic view was better with the I-Gel than the SLMA (P = 0.001). We conclude that in adults with normal airways, the SLMA is easier to insert and provides a higher oropharyngeal leak pressure, but fibreoptic views are better with the i-gel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeTo determine whether optical coherence tomography (OCT) device-type influences clinical grading of OCT imaging in the context of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).MethodsNinety-six paired OCT scans from 49 patients with active exudative AMD were obtained on both the time-domain Stratus OCT system and the spectral-domain Cirrus OCT system at the same visit. Three independent graders judged each scan for the presence of intraretinal fluid (IRF) or subretinal fluid (SRF). The degree of grader consensus was evaluated and the ability of the systems to detect the presence of disease activity was analysed.ResultsCirrus OCT generated a higher degree of inter-grader consensus than Stratus OCT with higher intraclass correlation coefficients for all parameters analysed. A pair-wise comparison of Cirrus OCT with Stratus OCT systems revealed that Cirrus-based gradings more frequently reported the presence of SRF and IRF and detected overall neovascular activity at a higher rate (P<0.05) compared with Stratus-based gradings.ConclusionsThe choice of time-domain (Stratus) vsspectra-domain (Cirrus) OCT systems has a measurable impact on clinical decision making in exudative AMD. Spectral-domain OCT systems may be able to generate more consensus in clinical interpretation and, in particular cases, detect disease activity not detected by time-domain systems. Clinical trials using OCT-based clinical evaluations of exudative AMD may need to account for these inter-system differences in planning and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by overexpression of pro-survival BCL2, compounds that mimic its physiological antagonists, the BH3-only proteins, may have a role in treatment of this disease. ABT-737 is a BH3 mimetic compound that selectively targets BCL2 and BCLXL. In the present work, we report that ABT-737 is highly effective (LC50<50 nM) as a single agent against most (21/30) primary CLL samples, but that a sizable minority is relatively insensitive. In vitro sensitivity to ABT-737 could not be simply predicted by the patients' clinical features, including response to prior therapy or known prognostic markers (CD38 expression, 17p deletion), or the relative expression of BCL2 family proteins (BCL2, MCL1, BAX, BIM). Strikingly, co-incubation with cytotoxic agents (dexamethasone, etoposide, fludarabine, doxorubicin) sensitized most CLL samples to ABT-737, but this could not be predicted by responses to either ABT-737 or the cytotoxic agent alone. Of 17 samples least sensitive to ABT-737, 13 were sensitized by co-treatment with at least one cytotoxic agent. These data indicate that combination of ABT-737 with a second anti-leukemic agent would improve response rates and suggest a potential role for combination therapies that include BH3 mimetics for the treatment of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is consensus in the literature that the end of life care for patients with chronic illness is suboptimal, but research on the specific needs of this population is limited. Aim: This study aimed to use a mixed methodology and case study approach to explore the palliative care needs of patients with a non-cancer diagnosis from the perspectives of the patient, their significant other and the clinical team responsible for their care. Patients ( n = 18) had a diagnosis of either end-stage heart failure, renal failure or respiratory disease. Methods: The Short Form 36 and Hospital and Anxiety and Depression Questionnaire were completed by all patients. Unstructured interviews were ( n = 35) were conducted separately with each patient and then their significant other. These were followed by a focus group discussion ( n = 18) with the multiprofessional clinical team. Quantitative data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics and simple descriptive statistics. All qualitative data were taped, transcribed and analysed using Colaizzi's approach to qualitative analysis. Findings: Deteriorating health status was the central theme derived from this analysis. It led to decreased independence, social isolation and family burden. These problems were mitigated by the limited resources at the individual's disposal and the availability of support from hospital and community services. Generally resources and support were perceived as lacking. All participants in this study expressed concerns regarding the patients' future and some patients described feelings of depression or acceptance of the inevitability of imminent death. Conclusion: Patients dying from chronic illness in this study had many concerns and unmet clinical needs. Care teams were frustrated by the lack of resources available to them and admitted they were ill-equipped to provide for the individual's holistic needs. Some clinicians described difficulty in talking openly with the patient and family regarding the palliative nature of their treatment. An earlier and more effective implementation of the palliative care approach is necessary if the needs of patients in the final stages of chronic illness are to be adequately addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we incorporate the cargo routing problem into fleet assignment to model the fleet assignment more accurately. An integrated model and a Benders decomposition-based approach are developed to simultaneously obtain the optimal assignment of fleet to legs and the routing of forecasted cargo demand over the network. Computational experiments show that this integrated approach converges very fast for all different test scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report for the first time a significant increased lymphoproliferative response to alpha tropomyosin as well as observing autoantibodies to tropomyosin observed in Behçet's disease (BD) patients with posterior uveitis. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 18 BD patients with posterior uveitis, 18 patients with other forms of noninfectious uveitis, 9 patients with retinal damage due to photocoagulation as well as 18 healthy donors were evaluated for antigen-specific lymphoproliferative responses to alpha tropomyosin and its derivative peptides. The proliferative responses of PBMCs to these antigens were studied using3H thymidine incorporation assay. Serum samples were also screened by ELISA for autoantibodies against tropomyosin. Six of the 18 (33%) BD patients with posterior uveitis showed increased proliferative response to alpha tropomyosin or its derivative peptides, while none of the healthy, disease controls were positive. The mean lymphoproliferative responses to tropomyosin were significantly higher (P < 0·02) in the BD patients compared to healthy or disease controls. Higher titres of anti-tropomyosin antibodies were also seen in four of the 18 BD patients but none in the healthy or disease control groups (P < 0·002). The occurrence of these abnormalities supports a possible role for alpha tropomyosin as a self-antigen in a subset of patients with Behçet's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sought to evaluate safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), administered as a single intracoronary injection, to subjects with stable angina pectoris secondary to coronary artery disease. bFGF, an angiogenic growth factor, has been shown to enhance collateral development in animal models of progressive coronary occlusion. To our knowledge, this study represents the initial introduction of parenteral bFGF into humans. This was a phase 1, randomized, dose-escalation trial of bFGF in 25 subjects with coronary artery disease and stable angina. Subjects were randomized 2:1 to a single dose of bFGF or placebo, injected into the left main coronary artery. bFGF doses ranged from 3 to 100 microg/kg, increasing in half-log increments. bFGF was generally well tolerated at doses of 3 to 30 microg/kg. Plasma clearance was 20 +/- 2 ml/kg/min, with an elimination half-life of 85 +/- 11 minutes. bFGF caused acute hypotension ( approximately 10%) that did not appear to be dose-related through the dose range studied. Of the 9 subjects who received 30 to 100 microg/kg bFGF, 2 had sustained hypotension, mild to moderate in severity, lasting 1 to 3 days, and 3 subjects developed bradycardia hours to days after bFGF administration. bFGF dilated epicardial coronary arteries (7.4 +/- 2.5% mean diameter increase, p <0.02). Transient mild thrombocytopenia and proteinuria were observed in some subjects in the 30-microg/kg cohort. No subject had signs suggesting systemic angiogenesis. Thus, intracoronary bFGF, at doses of 3 to 30 microg/kg, was generally well tolerated in subjects with stable angina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Background Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Functional, financial and social barriers commonly prevent individuals with acute stroke and disabilities from receiving rehabilitation following their hospital discharge. Home-based rehabilitation is an alternative to center-based rehabilitation but it is often costlier. Tele-rehabilitation is a promising solution for optimizing rehabilitation utilization, as it can enable clinicians to supervise patients and conversely, patients to receive the recommended care remotely. Our team therefore developed a novel tele-rehabilitation, with the primary aim to estimate the extent to which the proposed tele-rehabilitation resulted in an improvement in function during the first three-months after stroke in comparison to usual rehabilitation. Material and method This was a randomized controlled trial. We used the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument (FDI) to assess our primary outcome (with adjustment made for baseline covariate). Results We recruited 124 participants and randomized them to receive either 12-week home-based tele-rehabilitation or usual rehabilitation. Rehabilitation Over the 12-week rehabilitation period, the intervention group spent 2246-minutes on their rehabilitation whereas the control group spent 2565-minutes. The median difference between the two groups was not statistically significant ( P = 0.649). Primary Outcome (FDI) The mean FDI frequency score post-rehabilitation for the intervention and control groups were 39.7 (SD 11.7) and 43.0 (SD 10.6) respectively. The mean FDI limitation score post-rehabilitation for the intervention group was 78.5 (SD 20.6) and that for the control group was 85.4 (SD 19.6). The unadjusted and adjusted differences in both FDI scores between the two groups were not statistically significant (Models 1 and 2). Conclusion Both groups reported comparable amount of time spent on rehabilitation and similarly positive impact on the primary outcome. Home-based tele-rehabilitation can be an effective strategy for minimizing or eliminating rehabilitation utilization barriers while achieving the same functional outcome as center-based rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Background Stroke is the most common cause for physical disability and impairments to lower limb function remain one of its most debilitating symptom. Motor imagery (MI), as a safe, self-paced technique, has been shown to effectively facilitating the effects of motor practice. When combined with brain-computer interface (MI-BCI), it also demonstrates an improvement in stroke motor recovery. A feasibility trial was carried out to investigate the effect of MI-BCI neurofeedback in chronic hemiplegic lower limb rehabilitation. The neurophysiological correlates to clinical outcomes was also studied by using, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Material and method Subjects ( n = 13) with more than 9 months post-stroke and Functional Ambulation Category 3–4 underwent 12 sessions of MI-BCI gait training, at a frequency of thrice a week. Subjects were instructed to perform a MI task whereby they imagined themselves walking properly with both legs. If the MI task is performed correctly as detected via electroencephalography acquisition, a pair of cartoon footprints in the monitor will be activated to walk forward. Each MI-BCI session includes 160 MI trials with resting interval every 40 trials. Timed up-to-go test and 10 meter walk test, as well as the resting motor threshold measured by TMS were performed before, after and 6 weeks after MI-BCI gait training. Results It was shown that MI-BCI was safe and well tolerated by stroke subjects. Both walking speed and balance improved after MI-BCI gait training ( Fig. 1 ). This was in line with an increase in the corticospinal activity in the contralesional M1 motor cortex ( Fig. 2 ). Conclusion MI-BCI could improve mobility in chronic stroke patients with residual mobility impairment. The study also suggested that the contralesional motor cortex is involved in the recovery of mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the molecular identification of Acinetobacter in culture-negative endocarditis patients. Efficacy of rifampicin on Acinetobacter endocarditis; Correlation between teicoplanin and rifampicin; Determination of the messenger RNA gene in blood culture sets.